An H-E-B Machine
by inukagome15
Summary: Sam is known as an environmentalist. What happens when an H-E-B machine gets on her nerves? Chaos! Rated for safety.


**This is just something my mind came up with after my mom and siblings came back from an H-E-B store. They were complaining about that same machine and how it insisted they take plastic bags. I wasn't there (in the car) but I heard all about it afterwards and thought it would be great for Sam since she's an environmentalist. I just finally took the time to write it up. My imagination came up with the buttons and what the machine said. I know for sure that it did say "Please place your items in the bag."**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Danny Phantom_ and everything that's H-E-B related belongs to that store.**

* * *

**An H-E-B Machine**

* * *

Samantha Manson, or Sam as she liked to be called, was currently in an H-E-B store, buying supplies for a camping trip that she and her friends would soon embark on. Never mind that her mother would throw a fit if she knew. Sam was a rebellious teen in every sense. Besides, her grandmother had authorized it so she was good to go.

Smiling slightly at the fun they would have, she walked to the aisle five cashier's, her purchases in a bag she had brought for the occasion.

It was Friday, meaning that the store was rather busy considering that people wanted to be stocked up for the weekend. Sam waited fifth in line until it was her turn to place her purchases on the black "treadmill". She already had her wallet in hand was just waiting for the cashier—a bored looking brown-haired woman—to finish with the customer in front of her.

Sam watched in distaste as the customer placed his purchases in something she couldn't see to come up with plastic bags.

'_So wasteful. They take __**forever**__ to decompose_,' she thought as the cashier rang up her few items.

"Eighty-seven dollars and sixty-nine cents," the cashier said.

"That's a rip-off!" Sam protested. She hadn't known that eggs—she had only gotten them for her friends—carrots—let Tucker squirm—apples, tofu hot dogs—she planned on sneaking them onto Danny and Tuck—marshmallows, bread, butter—not for her—a stack of paper plates, and some bottles of water could amount to so much.

"You've got tax," the cashier replied, bored.

"On top of how much?!"

"You gonna pay or not?" She shot Sam an irritated look. "The line's building."

Holding her tongue in check, Sam handed over the appropriate cash. The woman dropped it into the register and motioned her on.

"Bags are over there." She pointed to a little nook Sam hadn't noticed before.

"I don't need a bag," Sam mumbled, stuffing her purchases into the bag she had brought along.

The Goth then was about to exit but found her way barred by a metal gate. Raising an eyebrow at the oddity, she turned to the little machine she had seen that was holding the bags. She had some buttons on it and was sure that if she pressed one of them, the gate would open.

Indeed, there were several buttons on the little black machine; she pressed the one labeled "open".

"Please place your items in the bag," a chirpy voice droned.

"I don't want a bag!" Sam hissed, pressing the button again. The bag she was holding, one made out of twigs of wood and cloth, was in her hand.

"Please place your items in the bag."

Sam looked desperately at the metal gate preventing her exit. She was aware that she was holding up the whole line but that was _not_ going to make her take plastic bags she didn't even need.

Pushing against the gate, she shot the plastic bag dispenser a foul look as if daring it to protest.

"Please place your items in the bag." Evidently it wasn't afraid about taking a dare.

"I am not taking one!" Sam snapped, knowing she was drawing curious and irritated stares from all around. She pushed against the gate again.

"Calling for assistance," the thing said cheerfully. "Please wait."

"I. Don't. _Want_. A bag," Sam said through gritted teeth. She pressed the "open" button again without any hope.

"Calling for assistance. Please wait."

A beeping noise drew Sam's direction to the cashier and all the irritated customers behind her. The woman had received a call for help from the stupid machine.

"Do you need help?" the cashier asked.

"I don't! Why do you people have something so stupid here anyway?" Sam said vehemently. "Plastic bags are horribly detrimental to the environment! How hard is it to stock up on paper bags? They can be recycled, you know!"

All the customers and the nearby cashiers stared at her, shocked at her outburst. It was as if they had never heard of the environment.

"Please place your items in the bag." And the stupid thing was still on!

Sam flushed angrily, dumped her purchases from her own bag into the plastic, and jabbed the button viciously. The gate clicked open and the plastic bag was freed.

Still flushed with anger, she grabbed the bag and left the cramped spot. She turned to glare at the still-speechless cashier. "I'll be submitting a complaint," she snapped, whirling around.

"Thank you for shopping at H-E-B."

"Shut up!" Sam left the store and entered the warm summer day, making her way to her scooter.

She was so angry that she didn't even notice her two friends until she was already on her scooter.

"Hey, Sam." She looked up and blushed upon seeing Daniel Fenton, her secret crush.

"D—Danny!" Sam willed herself to be nonchalant. "What are you doing here?"

"We knew you were shopping for stuff for our camping trip and thought we could come help," Danny said. "Do you need help?"

"No, I don't." She was back to her snappish self.

"Why are you holding plastic bags when you have your own in your other hand?" Tucker asked, leaning forward to see if it was true. "I thought you hated plastic bags."

"I do!" Sam growled. "Those people in there have absolutely no respect for an environmentalist! They _force_ you to take plastic bags!"

"Why didn't you just leave it there?" Danny inquired.

"They would've thrown it away then. They have _no_ subtlety when it comes to taking care of the environment!" Sam fumed. "Honestly! How hard is it to stock up on paper bags?"

Danny and Tucker shared looks.

"They waste trees," Danny suggested.

"You can _recycle_ them," Sam replied. She was not in a good mood.

"Is the camping trip still on for this weekend?" Tucker asked.

"Yep!" Sam revved up her scooter.

"Do you need help?" Danny said again.

"Do I look helpless to you?" Sam snapped. "I'm just gonna go home and get ready, okay? Be ready at seven tomorrow!"

Sam then drove off, leaving her friends behind and blinking. Danny and Tucker shared confused looks.

"Is it just me or is she _really_ annoyed?" Tucker wondered.

"She's annoyed," Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck in confusion.

* * *

**Ta-da! I only hope the ending wasn't horrible. Just let me know what you think about it by pressing the little review button down there! And this is a one-shot in case you didn't notice. XP**

**My other stories ARE in progress. It just takes a while to type them up.**


End file.
